How to tell if a guy likes you
by ALucky13
Summary: Haitus. SO SORRY! A romance story about Sunako and her road to becoming a lady. Minor angst/scary stuff, be warned! KyoxSun
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **The landlady orders Sunako to find herself a man. But what if that man is someone other than Takano? Read and review to find out! Plus Valentines day funnnnn ;D

**Pairing: **SunakoxKyohei/SunakoxMysterious other and NaiexTakenaga.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own nuthin 'cept the new character. And I am not guaranteeing that this is how you know if a guy likes you, so girls, don't get tooooo excited.

* * *

**Oh No! A Dinner Party?! **

It was an ordinary day in February. Rays of golden afternoon sunshine flooded into a luxurious living room, illuminating the searing white carpet on which three boys lay sprawled out like corpses.

Takano Kyohei was the only one who had retained his composure after the landlady delivered her fatal new plan for her oblivious niece.

"_Tomorrow night,"_ the landlady's shrill voice said,_ "I want Sunako to attend a dinner party where she will meet plenty of handsome, and not to mention available, young men. I hope she will attend, looking fabulous and stunning in the new dress I sent her through the mail. With the help of you four boys, she should be able to find a boyfriend in no time!" _

Her cheery, hopeful tone ended there. From the phone emerged a completely different character and her voice dropped an octave in pitch for dramatic emphasis.

"_Or else."_

Her last statement echoed menacingly throughout the room and was terminated only by the soft _click_ as the line went dead.

Kyohei smirked.

Immediately in response, Ranmaru sprang to his feet in determination. He clenched his fists and stared up at the ceiling with glistening eyes.

"Tomorrow, we will turn Sunako into a lady."

Takenaga swiftly rose to his feet as if propelled by the force of Ranmaru's determination. "Yes. She will definitely find a man."

Yuki was the last to arise from his spot on the floor. He wobbled slowly to his feet. "But the dress!" he wailed in despair.

Then they remembered the events of the previous morning.

ZZZZZZZZZZ(FLASHBACK)ZZZZZZZZZZ

_"Sunako-chan! A package arrived for you. It's from your aunt!" Yuki called, cupping a hand to his mouth without ever removing his fierce gaze from the brown cardboard box._

_From lack of anything better to do or just sheer curiosity about the box's contents, the three other tenants arrived. They burst through the living room door and scrambled all over each other to try to get a peek at the foreign object._

_Soon they found themselves fighting over the box, Yuki trying to stop them._

_Suddenly, there was a bang as the door was slammed open. After a swish of long raven hair, the foursome could almost hear an inhuman cackle and the sound of light footsteps. The feeling of fear and foreboding washed over their goose-bump covered skin as a dark presence entered._

_"Auntie?" an eerie female voice whispered._

_The boys stopped fighting momentarily and stood in terrified silence as the girl glided to the package with a fake, almost sinister smile plastered on her pale face._

_'I wonder if there is a human skeleton in there,' Nakahara Sunako thought. She had an unusual taste for death, corpses, and the supernatural._

_With increasing interest the boys crept towards her. Unaware of their curiosity, Sunako tore violently at the box with the butcher's knife she had stealthily carried in her back pocket._

_Finally, after a few intense minutes, Sunako yelled "A-ha!" triumphantly. She reached into the darkness of the box and pulled out…_

_A black, flowing material. She pulled it up higher and higher out of the box, quite ignorant of the overall shape of the cloth. With all her mental energy she wished it was something else, something more satisfying. For a moment, her denial was able to push the truth out of her mind._

_Takenaga was the first to realize what it was. Then, fearing the aggressive girl's reaction, he soundlessly tiptoed away to the safety of his room._

_When Yuki and Ranmaru came to the same conclusion, they followed after their friend._

_This left Nakahara and Takano. And the latter was sniffling back laughter._

_"WHAT IS THIS?!"_

_The entire mansion shook with the words. Nearby birds took flight. Naie, who had been on her way to visit Takenaga, spun around immediately and nearly sprinted away._

ZZZZZZZZZ(END OF FLASHBACK)ZZZZZZZZZZ

It was not smart of Takano Kyohei to remain in that situation. Nor was it smart for him to burst out laughing at Sunako's red face. So it was entirely his fault for the following:

The tearing and slashing of the dress.

The mess of black cloth all over the living room floor.

The breaking of several windows and mirrors in the house.

Medical bills.

Sunako's refusal to leave her room for the next two days.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Kyohei remained in his original slacked position on the couch, smirking.

Yuki moaned.

"Is this amusing to you?" Ranmaru asked. "Is it amusing to think of your _lover _being taken away by another man?"

Kyohei chuckled. "Lover? I'd be glad to see her gone, especially after she caused this-"

He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal crusty red scab running down his chest. "SHE'S NOT HUMAN! I'd feel sorry for the poor lose-"

He was interrupted by Takenaga's firm hand clutching his mouth.

The goddess of pain herself appeared in the doorway.

"Lunch is ready."

**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own nuthin, except the origional character. You'll see... muahaha

* * *

**Dinner Party!**

How quickly the days go by. In the blink of an eye, Ranmaru, Takenaga, and Yuki were waiting eagerly in the front hall for Sunako's arrival. They stood at the bottom of the stairs, nearly shaking in anticipation.

Takano couldn't have been more unconcerned. As her chauffer, he was unwillingly dressed in a black suit, black shirt, and red tie. He leaned coolly against the front door with an emotionless expression, Sunako's jacket slung over one shoulder.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, she arrived.

The blonde haired chauffer was too occupied with staring at a fly on a wall in some remote corner of the room to notice at first. But startled by the gasps and contented sighs coming from his three housemates, he lifted his gaze.

What he saw first were a pair of elegant white toe pumps, lined with tiny diamonds. Next, a knee-length, deep blue cocktail dress. The material sparkled mysteriously under the light and clung to her slender figure.

As she began her majestic descent down the main stairway, she played with the simple diamond necklace she wore around her neck. There were also diamonds in her hair; half of her long black hair was tied up behind her head, the other half hung around her shoulders in playful curls.

_Thump. Thump. _Kyohei was surprised by the sound of his own heartbeat. 'That's strange,' he thought, 'it must be broken.'

* * *

Sunako looked up. 

There was Kyohei, shining brilliantly from the doorway. She met his eyes and was astonished when he abruptly turned away.

"Sunako-chan! You look gorgeous!" Yuki said in delight. When she set foot on the landing, he grabbed her by the hands and spun her around. He was pleased by the way her dress spiraled around her.

Ranmaru stole her away, cupping her face in his hands. He tilted her face up to the light, examining the make-up with glee. "Lovely!" he said in his charming, womanizing way.

Takenaga placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I've never seen your hair more perfect."

The three went around complimenting her fabulous looks and admiring each other's handiwork. Sunako blushed with her fingertips on her lips, just as she had been taught. Even her mannerisms screamed 'lady'.

Their ecstasy was ruined by an infuriated Kyohei.

"Could you hurry up please?!" he yelled from the doorway. "So I don't have to wait here like this forever?"

Ranmaru whispered to Yuki, "It's because he's jealous…"

They giggled as Sunako went to Kyohei. Like a true gentleman, he helped her into her jacket.

They all screamed "GOOD LUCK!" as their car drove away into the night.

* * *

The heels of women's shoes clicked against the marble floor of the ballroom. Moonlight shined through the gigantic windows. A massive chandelier hung above their heads and jazz music drifted from the room next-door. The party was being hosted by some millionaire, one of the landlady's friends. 

It occurred to Takano that although Sunako's aunt had mentioned "available" men in her phone call, she had neglected to mention that it was a matchmaking session for the wealthy.

Sunako and the girls sat on one side of a long, rectangular table. Handsome, although not as handsome as Kyohei, men sat on the opposite side. Apparently Sunako's aunt had been responsible for the seating arrangement. She had the young men and women strategically placed to support her matchmaking scheme for Sunako.

Takano could tell that the other young ladies were just there to make Sunako feel more comfortable. But they were just pawns on the landlady's chessboard. It was no wonder why the three most attractive men all sat in close proximity to Sunako.

And, Takano guessed it was also part of her plan that the men's side of the table was also one man short.

He was right.

"Oh Takano-kun!" the landlady called with a sweet voice. She took him by the arm and led him away from the table before the dinner started. "There is a reason why I asked specifically that _you_ bring my niece."

Kyohei rolled his eyes and pulled his arm around of her grasp.

The landlady pointed to the empty chair at the far end of the table, farthest from where Sunako was sitting. "I want you to forget Sunako. Find another woman."

Kyohei opened his mouth to object or say something about how they weren't really a couple, but the scary look from the lady stopped him. "Think about the rent," she threatened.

Reluctantly, Kyohei clambered to his seat.

He heard the girls around him squeal with delight. This only caused him to roll his eyes more and slouch in his seat. Without even considering manners or waiting for anyone else to start, he picked up a fried shrimp from his plate with his fingers and shoved it into his mouth. Unfortunately, the girls were only more attracted by his bad-boy personality.

With a sigh, he stole a quick glance at Sunako. The man seated directly across from her was getting comfortable with her already. His smile was too wide and too flirtatious for Takano's liking.

'Come to think of it, his face is kind of familiar…' Kyohei thought.

The dinner bell struck; everyone else began to eat.

Then it hit him. That guy was…

"Takano Toshiro, I would like you to meet my niece, Nakahara Sunako."

Immediately, Kyohei's blood rushed to his feet and his face turned deathly white. His… his _brother_?

* * *

**Author's Note: **Pleeeeeeez review! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Noticia:** Sorry, but I was lying about the Valentine's Day stuff. I guess I just didn't get there on time. But there'll be some Valentine's day stuff coming... sometime?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except Toshiro! The anime/manga talked about Kyohei's older brother, so I just made him up.

Btw, the long _italicized_ portions are flashbacks.

* * *

**That Night**

Time had flown by so quickly. At the end of the night, Sunako and Kyohei returned to find the mansion unlit, dark, and empty. The other three housemates were already asleep in their rooms.

"Well, good night," Kyohei said through clenched teeth. His eyes were cast in shadow and his entire demeanor radiated annoyance.

Without another word, he stormed off in the direction of his room.

Sunako stared after him in confusion. 'I was so sure I acted like a lady. So why is he so angry and dissatisfied?' she thought. She wondered what her mistake had been.

_Sunako's mouth was open. She drooled slightly at the sight of the food in front of her. She never thought that French cuisine looked so delicious before. _

_Slices of steak with still bloodied insides lay neatly arranged on her plate, decorated with blood colored sauce and gore shaped green vegetables. Her hand still delicately held a glass of red wine. _

_For a moment, she imagined herself diving into her food greedily. The meat would only be held in her bare hands for a moment before she shoved it into her mouth and chomped it with sharp teeth and tore it apart and gulped it down in enormous chunks. _

'_Sunako-chan, you must eat all your food with delicacy,' she heard Yuki say from her right shoulder. She looked to the source of the voice and found all her housemates, tiny and angelic, on her shoulder. _

'_That's not necessary!' She turned to her left shoulder. There was Hiroshi-kun, her best friend and a life-sized manikin, in a black tuxedo with matching devil horns._

_During her moment of indecision, her friends fought amongst themselves, debating whether or not she should eat like a lady or not. _

_The gentleman sitting across from her seemed to sense the bewilderment from her expression. He got up from his chair, carrying his fork and steak knife. He came beside her._

"_May I?" he asked, smiling kindly. _

_Sunako's friends disappeared in clouds of smoke. She was too dumbfounded to answer. _

_He pushed her plate away from her and cut the steak into small, neat pieces. When he was done, he returned to his seat in satisfaction. _

_Sunako still had no idea how to react. _

'_Just eat it!' Ranmaru whispered into her ear. _

_Sunako chose the proper fork and ate with the manners that she had been taught. _

'Score!' Sunako thought, praising herself for employing the proper manners. 'Then why was Takano so unhappy?'

She allowed a small gasp to escape her lips. The sound echoed in the empty hall around her. 'Could it be…?'

_Toshiro was saying, "What are your hobbies, Sunako-san?"_

_Without thinking, Sunako blurted out "I like watching horror movies and being in the dark-"_

_She clamped a hand over her own mouth. The people around her turned their heads in alarm. She turned to her aunt, who was flirting with someone at a different table, to see if she had heard._

_Thankfully, she hadn't. But worries instantly plagued her mind. 'What if Toshiro-san tells Aunty? What will she say?'_

_Toshiro smiled genuinely and even laughed a little. He leaned across the table to whisper to Sunako. "Between you and me, my favorite movie of all time is 'Freddy vs. Jason III.'"_

Sunako winced. 'Maybe that wasn't the best decision. But Toshiro-san had taken it well.'

Convinced that the night _had_ gone smoothly and she didn't deserve Kyohei's bizarre, cold treatment, she began the trek to her room.

As she walked, her mind went back to that strange character, Toshiro. He had a refreshing character and wasn't like the boys she had known in her life. He wasn't a creature of light, but pleasurable to the eye. He even enjoyed the same horror movies as she did.

The last thought that crossed her mind before she dozed off was of that strange man. 'He's a little too perfect to be true…'


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own nuthin but Toshiro-san.

* * *

**_Pop_sicles**

In the morning, Yuki, Ranmaru, and Takenaga went early to the kitchen. They planned to prepare a meal for Sunako in gratitude for her great success the night before.

(The landlady called to tell them that rent was free for the month due to their fine work.)

Unfortunately, their three heads was not greater than Sunako's one. They had not even finished getting all the ingredients out to make cereal and toast before all hell broke loose.

"Hey! You're stepping on my foot!" Yuki cried, shoving Ranmaru away from him.

Ranmaru bumped his elbow on the kitchen countertop. "What was that for?!" he smacked Takenaga on the back of the head with a wooden spoon, thinking he was the one who had just pushed him.

Takenaga had been cooking an egg, still in its shell, on a frying pan when he felt the pain. Startled, he jostled the frying pan, causing the egg to crack in it. Afraid that he had made some sort of horrible cooking mistake, he took the pan off of the stove.

At the same time, the burnt toast in Yuki's hand flew towards the stove and landed on the open flame. It burst into flame, causing Yuki to scream.

His scream scared Ranmaru into dropping a bowl onto the floor.

Takenaga stepped on the shards and cut himself.

Yelp. Scream. Fire. Blood. Spill. Crash.

The ruckuss made Kyohei and Sunako come running.

"What is going on here?!"

DING DONG! The doorbell rang loudly through the house.

"Kyohei, you go see who it is. I'll take care of this mess," Sunako said.

Kyohei obeyed.

* * *

"Who is it?" Kyohei muttered. 

It was a Saturday morning. Usually they did not have guests at this early hour. Kyohei was not prepared to receive a guest. His blonde hair stuck up in odd places and was flattened by his pillow in others. He was shirtless and wearing sweatpants that didn't completely cover his plaid boxers.

He opened the door.

"Kyo-kun?"

Kyohei's eyes snapped open. There was only one person in the world who called him by his childhood nickname.

* * *

_Momma!_ should have been Sunako's name. 

After putting out the fire, getting the dangerous pieces of the broken dishware off of the floor, and tending to Takenaga and Ranmaru's wounds, Sunako was taking care of Yuki. She tenderly cleaned the wounds on Yuki's feet and wrapped them in bandages.

Yuki sniffed. The rubbing alcohol was more painful than Sunako had intended. She wiped the tears from his eyes with her thumb.

"Don't cry Yuki. It's all better." She gave Yuki a reassuring smile.

Yuki rubbed his eyes- the image of a little child.

She led the three of her children, limping, to the living room. She had completely forgotten the fact that she had awoken abruptly and was still in a mess. And the fact that a guest was in their house.

Yuki's arm was slung over Sunako's shoulder for support. Her straight black hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her baggy pajama shirt that she had recently stole from Kyohei, hung off of her shoulder, revealing her bra strap. Her face and arms were unwashed and covered with soot and all manner of dirt.

That is how she entered the living room.

She was met with a gasp.

"Sunako-san! What happened here?"

Sunako looked up. It was then that she caught sight of their guest, Takano Toshiro. Her eyes widened as she realized the state she was in. Blushing madly, she made a move to run from the room, but Yuki's grasp stopped her.

He was the only one in the room who did not look like he had just survived a natural disaster.

Standing next to Kyohei, Sunako could truly see the resemblance. She was aware of his last name, but she was unable to see the connection until they stood side by side.

They had the same blonde hair. Their big brown eyes were almost identical. They shared the same facial shape and a strong, sharp jaw line. But everything else about them was completely different.

Toshiro, the elder of the two, was slightly taller than Kyohei. Although he was handsome, he wasn't as blindingly bright as his younger brother. Also, unlike his brother, Toshiro wore respectable clothes. He was dressed in jeans, a collared dress shirt, and a brown jacket.

Their personality differences were also obvious from their expressions. Toshiro's smile reflected his caring and happy character. Kyohei's eyebrows were constantly furrowed in a deep frown and his mouth was always slightly snarling, as if he was always pissed off about something.

The older brother repeated his question. "Sunako-san, are you okay?"

* * *

_Pop._ Kyohei physically felt a vain pop on his forehead. 'What was up with his brother just _appearing_ at his house after all this time and caring for that stupid girl?' 

Sunako self-consciously pulled up her shirt to cover her bare shoulder. "I'm alright, thank you."

_Pop._ Kyohei twitched. 'Why is she acting like a lady in front of him?'

Kyohei, in all of his thoughts, hadn't realized that he was staring at her. He was stunned when she met his gaze. Her eyes seemed to penetrate him, strike him in his chest someplace. He quickly turned away.

In all of this, his brother was smiling at her like a fool. And she was actually smiling back.

_Pop_. That was the last straw.

* * *

**AN:** So... how do ya'll think it's going so far? REVIEW pleeeeez 


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Th**anks to everyone who reviewed! It made me feel very happy inside . ... I'll try my best to make the story amazing!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Wallflower/Perfect Girl Evolution.

* * *

**A Painful Past**

"Do whatever you want, Toshiro. I'm leaving." Kyohei nearly shouted, feeling his blood boil under his skin. He couldn't bear being in the presence of this _creature_ any longer.

He fled the room, banging the door furiously behind him.

Yuki followed after him. "Kyohei-kun! Wait up!"

After the sound of their footsteps faded, an oppressive silence surrounded the four who remained- namely Takano Toshiro, Sunako, Takenaga, and Ranmaru.

"Don't mind him," Takenaga said finally. "He's just in a bad mood this morning.

Toshiro's head dropped slightly as he chuckled quietly. "He hasn't changed a bit."

* * *

His head was pounding painfully. It was happening again. 

So wrapped up was Kyohei in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that he was being followed, until he felt someone grab his arm.

He turned to find Yuki there, red-faced from running and gasping for breath.

"Hey- w-wait- up!" he wheezed through spastic breaths. "What- happened back there?"

Kyohei and Yuki began to walk. The park was a block down and the streets were nearly empty. They would have plenty of time to talk about everything.

Kyohei was silent and Yuki fought to get his breath back to normal.

Finally, Kyohei spoke up. "We only have one year difference, my brother and I. We were very close back when we were kids. Of course, I was the good looking one and he was the talented, smart, and athletic one. We'd get jealous of each other occasionally because I wanted our parents' love and affection and he wanted girls' love and affection. He was popular too, back then, but just not as much as me. But that really didn't matter. Until this one girl came along. She messed up everything."

_She was in Kyohei's third grade class. Toshiro and her brother were best friends, so naturally she and Kyohei became friends as well. She was Kyohei's first love._

_One day, he got the courage to ask her out. During break time, with red cheeks and clammy hands, Kyohei went up to her. _

"_Misaki, will you be my girlfriend?"_

_That tiny nine year old Kyohei didn't even have the courage to look at her._

_As the girls around him squealed in agony, he waited patiently for her response._

"_Kyohei…" she said, "I'm sorry. I like your brother."_

_Kyohei was devastated. He ran away crying. His fan girls who found out about the rejection picked on Misaki severely afterwards._

_When Kyohei heard that Misaki was in the back of the school being tormented by other girls, he went to her determined to rescue her. But he was too late. _

_Toshiro was standing in front of her, arms outstretched. _

"_Leave her alone!" _

_They didn't listen. They continued to beat both of them up. But the whole time he had his arms around Misaki, receiving the blows for her._

_Kyohei watched the whole scene from a distance away. From that day on, he realized the true difference between Toshiro and himself. Toshiro was truly loved. People weren't just attracted to him because of his good looks or talents. They loved him._

_And Kyohei hated him. He took away his parents. He took away his first love._

Kyohei turned away from Yuki to hide the hurt in his eyes. He tried to laugh. "And do you want to know the worst thing about it? It's what she said to me after admitting that she liked my brother. She said 'Don't you feel sorry for your brother? You always get all the attention because of your looks. So I want to save my heart for him.'"

Yuki said nothing. They continued in silence.

* * *

Sunako smiled. 

'HOLD THE PHONE!' Ranmaru and Takenaga thought simultaneously 'SUNAKO SMILED AT A GUY?!'

Sunako was smiling at Toshiro as she led him through the hallways to her room. Her two skeptical housemates followed closely behind, as a 'safety precaution.' More likely, they were waiting for the moment Kyohei's brother would freak out and run in the opposite direction when he saw her room.

Ranmaru and Takenaga smirked.

Sunako turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

"This is my room," she explained to him.

What a horrible sight to see. In the darkness, the light of the TV screen flickered with shots of red; Sunako had left her latest gory, rated X movie running. Around the screen sat her anatomical doll friends. The light from the hallway revealed the disturbing images of corpses and supernatural creatures.

Immediately, Ranmaru grabbed Takenaga for comfort.

Toshiro was not surprised. "Wow, Sunako-san. This room is even more dark than what you had described! It's really quite amazing."

'WHAT?!' thought Ranmaru. 'This guy is insane! This is the creepiest thing I've ever seen!'

Takenaga agreed. 'He is definitely not normal.'

Toshiro pulled a DVD out of his coat pocket. "This is for you Sunako-san. You told me you've never seen this one, so I thought you might like it."

Sunako accepted it. Her cheeks were rosy from blushing and the ends of her mouth were curved into a smile. "Thank you, Takano-san."

Sunako and Toshiro went into her room to watch _Jack the Ripper_, closing the door behind them. In the hallway, the two boys shared a knowing look.

"She has definitely fallen for him."

* * *

**AN: **Okay, so the whole thing about Kyohei and his bro is kinda weird. I kinda just made it up on the spot, but it seemed to make the most sense. It explains why Kyohei is so uninterested in girls, why he hates being so dang good looking and why he hates Sunako being so in 3 with his bro... I hope that made sense to everybody. And my apologies about Sunako--- she's kinda OOC. 


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry everyone! It took me a long time to update because... I got stuck after the end of the last chapter. It took some effort to think of a way to work myself out of that hole...

And also, I decided to quit the whole "-san" and "-chan" thing. I think it just makes everything a little more difficult. But I'll continue trying to make the tone/level of formality between the characters clear for ya'll.

Enjoy! And please send me some helpful comments at the end (no flames please). :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Wallflower, only the character Toshiro.

* * *

**Confession**

Toshiro had left some time after they finished the horror film. When a defeated Yuki had returned with the news that he couldn't convince Kyohei to come home, his worried housemates had spent hours searching for him. They came back when the rain started.

The mansion was dark. The power had gone out. The only light came from the occasional flashes of lightning through the windows.

A flash of lightning revealed the tense scene between Sunako and Kyohei. Takenaga, Ranmaru, and Yuki stood away from them, watching in silence.

Sunako had fallen onto the carpet, where she now sat clutching her knees with white knuckles.

Kyohei stood away from her, clenching his fist with fury. Guilt made him unable to look at her. Of course what he said was wrong, but he was Kyohei. He wouldn't take it back or apologize.

He hated himself.

"Kyohei! Apologize right now," Ranmaru said, clearly pissed off.

The girl's arm shook as she pushed herself off from the ground and onto her feet.

In all honesty, Sunako only saw Toshiro as a good friend. He was easier to get along with because he was not as painful for the eyes and didn't think she needed to become a lady. It was as simple as that. But of course, Kyohei and the others wouldn't believe such a simple answer.

Sunako's throat was tight from crying. When she spoke, her voice quivered. "No, Ranmaru. Kyohei… you're right. Everything you said was right."

Unable to say any more, she fled from the room to her sanctuary.

* * *

_SLAP_. 

Kyohei's head was turned to one side. His cheek was red from the blow.

"Moron." Takenaga said, retrieving his hand. "No matter what she does, Sunako is still our friend and a girl. If you ever say something_stupid_ like that again, I don't know what I'll do to you."

Takenaga glared at Kyohei for a moment longer before chasing after Sunako. Ranmaru and Yuki followed after him.

Kyohei lost all power in his body. He slumped to his knees. He could hear his words clearly. They echoed around the room, taunting him.

"_You're an idiot, Sunako! You actually thought someone could _like_ you?! A hideous, scary, _creature_ like you could never be loved! Hell, I'm even afraid and freaked out by your wacked dolls and those horror movies that you always watch. Your aunt is just delusional- thinking she can turn someone like _you_ into a lady."_

What was he thinking? He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. He slammed his fists repeatedly on the floor until they were bloody. He pounded his body with the same fists. But no matter what he did, he couldn't get rid of the pain in his chest.

Like daggers they stabbed him in the same spot repeatedly, using the very words that he himself had spoken. Over and over again.

* * *

Sunako slammed the door shut behind her and locked it. For once, she just needed to be alone. 

She heard them coming. Those creatures of light. They knocked on her door and said… kind words that she couldn't understand. They pleaded with her. Begged that she open the door. She ignored them and drowned their voices out of her mind.

She found her way around the room easily, being used to the darkness. She found the drawer without trouble. She slowly and softly pulled it open.

She found a handkerchief there, just as she knew it would be. It was square, white, and elegant. A simple, pretty pattern was stitched around the edges.

As she lifted it from the drawer, she felt the weight of it in her hand. It was heavy and burdensome.

She fingered the light, soft material, feeling a pang in her heart.

To her, it was more precious than all of her anatomical dolls, more precious than all her horror movies.

Her aunt's love was stitched in the fabric.

Sunako lifted it to her eyes, dabbing her damp cheeks tenderly.

"I'm sorry, Aunty," she whispered.

* * *

The three boys tried to get Sunako to respond for what seemed like an eternity. None of them realized that her room was empty. After a while, they assumed she had fallen asleep, so they all drifted away to their own rooms. 

When Kyohei was sure that none of them remained in earshot, he went to her room and sat against her door.

"Sunako…" he called to her through the door. Without waiting for a reply, he took a deep breath and launched into his speech. He was afraid he would chicken out and lose his courage courage before he could confess.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of the things that I said. I was just… jealous. That's all. You probably don't know this, but my brother and I… we fought over a girl once. And he… well, won. And I didn't want it to happen again because…"

He took another deep breath before continuing.

"I. Like. You." He squeezed his eyes shut and clenching his shaking hands. He couldn't believe that he was nervous. But it was the first time that he had ever confessed to a girl since Misaki. And Sunako meant a lot more to him than his first fleeting love ever had.

"I mean… I care a lot about you. All those times when I was cruel to you and told you that I didn't care… were just acts. I pretended. Because I was afraid that if you knew… you wouldn't treat me the same. I was just afraid that you would find out how beautiful I really think you are.

"And I… lied. I don't like you. I love you."

He sat there for a while, contemplating her reaction.

He felt like an idiot. He had just given her the key to his heart. If she decided that he wasn't worth it, that she detested his guts, or that he was just to "bright" for her to handle, she could crack open his pounding heart. She could stab, hit him where it hurt, and he would die.

"Sunako, please say something."

Silence.

He felt his blood boil and steam come out of his ears.

"Sunako, if you're sitting in there laughing at me, I'm gonna kill you."

Silence.

He had no patience. He got up and tried to turn the doorknob. It was locked. Furiously, he slammed his entire body weight against the door and forced it open.

"SUNA-" he stopped short when he realized that the dark room was lifeless.

A window was open. The window curtains fluttered in the breeze. Outside, the rain had stopped.

"Oh shit," Kyohei muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: So sorry that it took such a long time to update. /

Also, the "Boss" dude is from Ch. 14 in the manga. That's why the whole story is like a retake of Sunako's kidnapping. Anyhoo, don't wanna give much away...

Disclaimer: I don't own Wallflower.

* * *

**Kidnap! (Retake**) 

Kyohei was suffocating. 

His shoes pounded painfully on the street, landing in puddles of murky water occasionally. Pant and heave as he might, the still damp night air made it increasingly hard to breathe. 

In any other situation, Kyohei would've been pissed off. Pissed that Sunako ran without a word. Pissed that she left him pouring his heart out to no one. Pissed because his pride was severely damaged. 

Yet.

"SUNAKO! Where the hell are you!" 

Kyohei stopped, allowing his body to take a break after an hour of sprinting around, searching for her. He clutched his knees tightly, until his knuckles turned white. 

After his mind cleared, he looked around. He was in the middle of a ghostly market square. The only sign of life around was in a nearby grocery shop. 

Upon closer inspection, he saw that some of the stands had been knocked over and some shelves had been pulled out from the wall. Food and random accessories were lying haphazardly on the floor. 

Kyohei opened the glass door and exclaimed "What happened here?"

The store manager, who was sitting miserably on the floor in the middle of the mess, looked at him with a face of utter hopelessness. 

"It was the bank," the middle aged man said. "If they had just given me a loan for the shop, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have borrowed money from those gangsters…" 

Kyohei momentarily forgot about his search for Sunako. "Were you robbed?"

The man nodded slowly. "They came to collect this month's payment… I didn't have enough… They began to trash the place and then…"

He looked up at Kyohei with tears in his eyes. 

"This girl came."

Kyohei's chest constricted painfully; he felt a chill as if darkness itself was caressing his skin. He knew instinctively what had happened.

In his mind, he saw Sunako. _Pushing and shoving her way into the shop, she kicked the group of tall, buff, scary looking gangsters without hesitation. She had a strange look of determination in her eyes. She stared straight at the biggest, meanest looking thug of them all with the same fixed glare._

"She had long black hair and deathly pale skin…" he was saying. "I thought she was a ghost at first, but she…"

_She ran at him, her black hair flying all around her. He slammed her down with one swift blow. She pushed herself off of the floor, still gazing at him with the same intensity. _

The man's hands flew to cover his tear streaked face. His throat closed up. He was unable to say anymore. 

Kyohei's eyes widened. He grabbed the man by the shoulders and tried to shake his voice out of him. "Then? Then what!"

The store manager's voice came out in a choked whisper between sobs. "They said- that she would pay- the price…"

Kyohei released the man.

"They took her."

* * *

When Sunako awoke from her daze, she found her arms tied behind her back and her feet bound together by a heavily metal chain. Not only that, but a man's thick, burly arm was around her waist, leading her through a crowd of cigarette-smoking, sweaty, dirty gangsters. 

Her captor turned to her, sensing that she had regained consciousness. 

His face was despicable; it was round and meaty, covered with all sorts of facial hair and grime. His porky, gigantic nose protruded from his face like a mountain amongst the hills of his fat cheeks. He squinted at her through miniscule eyes. 

He smirked, revealing two sets of crooked and yellowed teeth. 

His appearance and his brute strength reminded her of a gorilla. 

"He he," he snickered. He strengthened his grip on her waist. 

_King Kong,_ she thought.

"You're a pretty one," he said. "I plan to make you mine."

Goosebumps appeared on Sunako's arms. 

"What's your name, little girlie?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"What?" he asked, drawing his head closer to hers. "I couldn't hear you over the noi-"

BANG! 

Sunako's head collided against his. 

He fell down onto his bum from the shock. 

The gangsters around him gasped in shock. 

"Boss!" they yelled. 

Half of them reached to help him to his feet. The others took hold of Sunako and knocked her onto the floor. They began attacking her mercilessly. 

"STOP!" Boss yelled furiously. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my woman!"

His grubby hands were around her again. This time, he slung her over his shoulder and clung onto her legs to keep her from kicking.

The gorilla man named Boss carried her all the way to his private room on the second floor of the abandoned building.

As soon as they were inside, Boss closed the door behind them.

Sunako was enshrouded in comfortable darkness before she was dropped unceremoniously onto a bed. 

_Uh oh,_ she thought, inching away from him slowly. There was something familiar yet menacing about this whole situation. 

She heard the tearing of cloth and the unzipping of a pair of jeans. Before she could yell out, a hand covered her mouth and a heavy body covered in bushy hair pinned her onto the bed.

She heard a snicker, then she felt something wet touch her neck. 

Her frantic scream was helplessly muffled. 

It was a tongue. She was sure of it. It slithered from her neck to her collar, where it was temporarily hindered by her shirt.

In the next moment, her shirt was gone.

For the first time in a long time, she felt completely powerless and vulnerable. Her arms fell limp and useless by her sides. She couldn't move a muscle in her legs. The only thing that separated her from the gorilla was a thin pocket of air. 

But she would not give up yet. 

It took her only a moment to register that his hand was still over her mouth. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth and sunk her teeth as hard as she could into his hand until she could taste blood.

He yelped and pulled away from her abruptly. 

"HELP!" she screamed as loud as she could. "Help! Help!"

"Why you…" Boss was saying, threateningly. "You're lucky you're a woman!"

Unfortunately, Boss's distinction between genders didn't apply to physical violence. In the darkness, Sunako could make out his enormous figure. His hand was raised above his head, about to strike-

"You call that thing a woman?" a voice said from the doorway. 

Sunako whipped her heard around and was blinded by the light. 

There was a clang as metal hit flesh. Boss cried out in agony as he crumpled to the floor. 

"Really, you are too exaggerated."

A soft, warm hand found Sunako's wrist and pulled her towards the door. 

Before she even knew what was happening, the creature of light stole her away. They passed mangled bodies of the gangsters as they made their way to the exit. 

In seconds they were out of the abandoned warehouse and were met with fresh air. 

Sunako felt her rescuer slip a sweater over her half-naked body. Then he crouched down in front of her. 

"Get on my back!" he said.

Sunako shook her head before she realized that she was shoeless. She must have lost it somewhere inside the gangsters' hideout. 

Reluctantly, she climbed onto her savior's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

At the same time, Sunako could hear the moans of the beat-up gangsters increasing in volume. They were coming. 

Sunako's savior quickly rose to his feet, placing his hands under Sunako's thighs to support her weight. 

He stole her away into the night.

* * *

AN: So... Sunako's "rescuer" is none other than KYOHEI! But that wasn't really important, so I didn't even bother including it. And by half-naked... I hope ya'll didn't picture anything too graphic. She still had her under garments and stuff... :D That's the whole reason why I changed the rating to T. 

Pleez review! Any helpful comments on my authorial craft (or whatever my crazy English teacher calls it) would be great too. Thanks for reading! 

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

This is one pretty short chapter. But. enjoy!

Disclaimer: I dun own Wallflower.

* * *

**You PERVERT!**

The screech of a bus and the sudden lurch of his body forward caused Kyohei to wake up from his dreams. He suddenly found himself thrust back into a world where Sunako was sitting beside him and her head was resting serenely on his shoulder.

Kyohei startled. _When did that happen?!_

He just about to shove her aside when he realized she was sleeping.

With an oval face, light skin with a touch of pink in her cheeks, a perfectly sculpted small nose, long lashes and slightly parted lips, Sunako was the image of beauty. Kyohei had forgotten that, despite the many glimpses he had seen of her transformation into a lady. But he thought there was something even more beautiful and amazing about how she could nearly beat him in every sport, how she got chocolate all over her face on Valentine's Day, how she could toss a frying pan full of fried shrimp, how she treated him like a normal human being and not some god…

_What the hell?!_ thought Kyohei. _What am I thinking?!_

He blinked the unpleasant images of her away and forced himself to look out the window. 

"Sh," he hissed, realizing that they had long past their destination. 

He glanced over at her again, regretting that he would have to give up the soft pressure of her head upon his shoulder. 

Quickly, he shook her. 

Sunako got up immediately as if she'd been injected with caffeine. But her eyes told him otherwise; they were still groggy with sleep. 

"Are we there yet?" she asked softly, already beginning to drop back into a comfortable position. 

"No," Kyohei replied, slipping a hand behind her shoulder. He firmly pulled her to her feet and led her to the exit of the bus. 

Once they were on the sidewalk again, he let her get on his back again, piggyback style. 

Her arms flopped lazily over his shoulders. She buried her head into his neck. 

Before Kyohei had taken three steps, she had fallen asleep. 

Kyohei chuckled. "Well it's your fault for running away at this time of night," he whispered to her. 

"Sorry for the trouble, mister! I promise I will buy more chocolate next time…" she murmured.

This gave Kyohei reason to laugh to himself again. "Even though you're talking in your sleep, I'll accept your apology."

They were almost home when Kyohei felt something wet and slimy slide down his shirt. He looked up to find the source of the leakage. 

Sunako's warm spit landed on his cheek and ran down the side of his face. 

Kyohei wiped it away and rolled his eyes. He should've guessed. After all the trouble she had caused him tonight, he should've expected that she would do something completely disgusting and un-feminine. 

He resisted the urge to gag. 

"Chocolate…" she muttered. 

* * *

Kyohei found it easier to sneak her back into her room through her window. Their other housemates didn't even know that she had gone missing in the first place. Kyohei thought it would be better not to worry them, especially since Sunako was still naked under his sweater (they would've jumped to strange conclusions). 

After the uneasy time of dropping her through her window, he climbed in himself. Sunako was still sleeping when he picked her up from the floor and placed her gently on her bed. 

Kyohei sighed in relief when she was back snug in her bed, under her covers.

He sat down on the edge of her bed and glared at her. "Don't you dare try to run away again, stupid." 

She snored softly, completely oblivious of Kyohei's insult.

"I should just," he said, raising his fist above her head. 

She smiled in her sleep, probably thinking of chocolate again. 

Kyohei groaned and lowered his fist. _As if I could ever hit _her, he thought. 

"Kyohei?"

Kyohei turned to find the owner of the voice. It was Takenaga. 

Takenaga, Ranmaru, and Yuki were all staring at Kyohei, the bottoms of their jaws nearly touching the floor. 

"What are you doing?"

Kyohei's eyes opened wide. "I… uh…" 

_This is not the time for stuttering!_ Kyohei thought.

Yuki pointed at him with one finger. "You PERVERT!"

* * *

AN: Teeheeheeeeeeee 


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm back! And this time, I'm going to try to finish this story. It's been like two very hectic years, but after stumbling upon all the encouraging reviews of this story, I decided that it's worth it to continue. So, without further ado…**

**Recap of the entire story thus far: Sunako finally became a lady for some event, where she met Kyohei's brother, Toshiro. The two of them immediately hit it off, awakening some childhood memory of Kyohei's, where he lost his first love to his older brother. So obviously he wasn't happy about this most recent development. So he took it all out on Sunako, said some nasty words, which made her disappear into the night. Then he tracked her down and saved her from a potential rape situation, and returned her home to her bed. The other boys of the house caught him slipping out of her roomand immediately thought he was a pervert…**

* * *

The next morning, Kyohei awoke from a fitful sleep, if that, with a terrible crick in his back from lying in a fetal position on Sunako's floor with only his arm as a pillow.

After explaining what had happened that night to the others (and accepting the well-deserved thrashes from Ranmaru and Takenaga that came along with it), Kyohei had returned to his own bed to find that anxiety kept him from falling asleep. The memory of that dimly lit room where Sunako had almost been…

Suffice to say that he couldn't keep his mind off it. The thought that she could ever get hurt like that made his blood boil and jaw clench. Only in Sunako's room, where she was directly in his sight, could he actually fall asleep.

So he accepted the cramp in the morning gracefully, or as gracefully as he could manage, and crawled to his feet. He was pleased to find Sunako still slumbering peacefully.

Kyohei hastily scrambled to his feet and bolted from the room, knowing that Sunako wouldn't be equally pleased to find him on her floor.

The morning passed without a single mention of last night's events; everyone was doing their best to put those terrors behind them. For the most part, they were succeeding. Even Sunako.

Everyone, but Kyohei.

"Do you need help setting up breakfast?" Yuki asked.

Sunako assented with a nod. "You can scoop the rice into the bowls over there," she instructed.

Immediately, Yuki got to work heaping rice into the small ceramic bowls by the rice cooker. He was sloppier than she was, so flecks of rice dripped all over the counter. But he worked diligently, unconsciously sticking out his tongue in his concentration. He let out a sigh of relief when his work was completed.

Yuki wasn't the only one trying extra hard to be nice to Sunako that morning. Takenaga too had taken it upon himself to get a wet paper towel to wipe off the table. He bent over it, scrubbing in circular motions until it was spotless.

Ranmaru had entirely different ideas about what it meant to be helpful.

"Do wear gloves dear, you'll ruin your delicate hands," he said, hovering over her as she washed the dishes, like she was one of his woman friends.

She quite predictably snapped when he tried to stroke her shoulder with one of his wandering hands. In one fluid, extremely agile motion, she snatched his hand in both of hers and twisted it until his arm was held behind his back.

He begged for mercy. "Ow, ow, Sunako! Let go!"

"Don't touch me," she said calmly, as if she was talking about the weather.

When she released him, he went staggering back into the awaiting arms of Takenaga and Yuki. He cradled his arm melodramatically.

Takenaga merely thwacked him on the back of the head. "Baka!" he hissed.

Just then, Kyohei staggered in, eyes barely open, unruly blond hair matted on one side, and clearly sleep deprived. "What's for breakfast?" he muttered.

"Miso soup and assorted side dishes," Sunako replied. Her tone was borderline between cheerful and nonchalant, which was the same thing as overly peppy for her.

Takenaga, Yuki, and Ranmaru exchanged nervous looks.

The table was ready, the food set, and the four boys seated in their usual seats. Sunako looked upon them, satisfied, and made for the exit when Kyohei stopped her.

He caught her wrist. "Stay," he said. "I can't eat when you're not here."

The other three boys stared wide-eyed. But none were as surprised as Sunako.

"Let go of me!" she demanded, trying to pry herself free from his grasp.

Kyohei only shook his head with great weariness. He was too tired to put up a fight but too stubborn to let it go.

"Stay until I'm done," he said again. "I'll finish quickly."

After an uncomfortable pause, Sunako consented. Anything to get away from that bright creature. So he released her and watched as she took her place in the corner of the room.

"Itadakimasu," he said. The others softly mimicked him before they all began to eat.

As promised, Kyohei was done with his breakfast in a hurry. He didn't even ask for seconds.

"I have to go grocery shopping," Sunako said to him as she put his dishes into the sink.

"I'll go with you," he said. He fixed her with a severe look, daring her to refuse.

She didn't, thankfully. They made quick work of the groceries. Sunako went in and out of shops to haggle for the best prices and Kyohei followed close behind her, like her personal bodyguard. Even when he would occasionally get too close, making her almost swoon from their proximity, Sunako didn't complain. Somehow she knew that his protectiveness was more for his benefit than her own. And she also appreciated the comfort of his presence.

After they were done, they headed home in a relaxed silence.

When they arrived at the mansion, a surprise was awaiting them.

"Toshiro!" Sunako cried in surprise, when she found the well kept young man standing in their living room. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to visit," he answered, giving her a polite bow. "I hope I'm not intruding."

He directed those last words at Kyohei, who was dawdling at the back of the room. There were still a lot of things on his mind, as evident from his sullenness.

Sunako shook her head vigorously. "Not at all," she said.

Then Toshiro and Sunako glanced at Kyohei until Toshiro broke the awkward pause.

"May I speak with Kyohei alone for a moment, Sunako?" he asked her.

She nodded. She took the groceries with her out of the room.

"What do you want?" Kyohei asked, wearily.

Toshiro ran a hand through his blond hair, his nervous habit, and released a giant breath. "Well," he began, "I want your permission to ask out Sunako."

Kyohei narrowed his eyes at his big brother in distrust.

"I know that we've had our problems in the past," Toshiro admitted, making gestures with his palms facing upward to indicate his openness. "But I want to make amends."

Kyohei didn't respond. Instead, he collapsed onto the sofa and feigned indifference.

"I'm going to be perfectly clear, Kyohei. I like Sunako." Toshiro looked at Kyohei quickly, searching for any signs of anger or resentment. Finding none, he continued. "She and I share a lot of interests, and I'm genuinely intrigued by her."

Toshiro was becoming more unnerved by Kyohei's silence than he would have been at a sudden outburst of rage. That at least would've been more suitable for Kyohei.

Tiredly, Toshiro sunk at the feet of the couch that Kyohei was lounging on. "But you're my brother, and you are more important to me than my relationships with girls."

Still there was no response.

"So… I'm asking you for permission to date her. If you refuse, then I will never speak to her again."

Toshiro was almost too nervous to check for a response this time. He simply bowed his head slightly and raised two intertwined hands in a gesture of humility and submission.

It took a while for Kyohei to come up with an answer. He cared deeply for Sunako, that much was certain. But after the events of the previous night, he wasn't so sure he was right for her. She was always in danger, just because of some rumor that she was his girlfriend. But if it ever became reality, he couldn't imagine what crazy schemes his fans or his enemies would come up with to harm her.

Kyohei hated the thought of Sunako being hurt again. He would do anything to keep her safe.

Even if it meant that they could never be more than just friends.

And with that thought, Kyohei's mind was decided. He would suppress whatever feelings he had for her and never try to confess to her again.

_Besides_, Kyohei thought to himself, _Toshiro is a good man. No jealous fans, no enemies... _

After that long moment of deliberation, Kyohei finally had some semblance of peace within his mind, although he felt a pang of regret in his heart. He looked up at Toshiro and fixed a stern gaze on him.

"Only if you promise to keep her safe and love her for how she is," Kyohei said.

Sheer joy radiated from Toshiro's eyes at his brother's words. Toshiro leant forward and wrapped his arms around Kyohei's body.

"Thank you, brother," he said, a smile in his voice. "I promise."

Kyohei chuckled half-heartedly at those words. But Toshiro's happiness was contagious. So despite the aching feeling in his chest, Kyohei allowed himself to smile.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the really long wait guys! But thank you for being truly faithful fans of my story. Please review! I'll try my best to finish the rest of it before I return to college.**

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